I have to agree with the hold-out supervisors who want to thoroughly vet the idea of joining in the State of Jefferson movement. There are so many details to consider and I think every single one of them should be explored and all questions answered. I have a few questions of my own concerning the financial aspect of this move.
Since the counties that will be included in the new state are relatively financially poor, with lots of us under-the -poverty-level citizens, it would be nice to know how the new state is going to handle the poverty rate.
Many low income people depend on social services provided by the state of California. Will they still have access to such services, like a Jefferson version of Medicaid? How about the state’s contribution to SSI? California pays a high contribution rate. If Jefferson does not, poor people will be even poorer.
And what about minimum wage? California pays more than the federal minimum wage, will Jefferson offer the same or will they reduce it to the federal standard? If wages are reduced expect even more poverty in the new state.
And the DMV – will I need a new state issued driver’s license, and at what cost? I need to change the address on my current license but can’t afford to spend $36 on something I can’t eat. Will I be forced to do so anyway if we become Jefferson?
Then there’s higher education. What kind of funding will be available from the state for financial aid for college, like California’s EOP or Pell grants? Or will the state follow the lead of its namesake and provide free college?
There are so many services provided by the state that people in our community depend on, I worry that the new State of Jefferson may not be as accommodating. What’s to become of the substantial poverty-level population? If we don’t fare as well in the new state, I don’t see any motivation to support it. Things are hard enough, survival is a struggle, I doubt those who are struggling would want to see their situation get worse.
After all the details have been worked out it would be nice to have the whole plan mailed to every person being affected by this move. We all have a right to have the details of what we’re getting into.
Katherine Kelly
Crescent City
This reply Jamie, is just dancing around the issues. Seems to me the founders of this SOJ petition should have worked out a plan before coming to ask for severance. Instead, they throw out a lot of dog whistles about lower taxes and less regulation. And defenders remember a time when pillaging our natural resources was a way of life and livelihood, but don’t stop to think how decimated this area would be now if a stop had not been put to it. I hear a lot of crying about how badly Sacramento is running things, but no actual solutions as to how SOJ would do it any differently. Less taxes means less money, inviting corporate interests in to do as they will without regulation is a recipe for disaster. Having regulations to limit environmental disaster is NOT a bad thing. Want none? Look at West Virginia. Is that what they really want want for our natural resources? To plunder them into wasteland? What I see coming with SOJ is a Wild West mentality. I’ve read about how it is to become a Republican enclave, and everyone with a brain knows how poorly red states fair.
The more questions the better and if anything I’d like to let you know there are no shortage of questions and we will need help answering them as they come up. There will be no ‘silver bullets’ – not everyone will have the same answers nor will they be pleased with the answers that are arrived at. When it comes down to the nuts and bolts discussions about how to create this new state their input and assistance will be crucial.
It should be noted if ‘the State of California’ feels threatened in any way by the creation of the State of Jefferson because of the issues the SOJ is trying to address and wants to correct the injustice it is free to do so at any time.
The greater question based on the recent history of Northern California who sees ‘the State’ providing any relief, or improvement with money it does not have using the impossible bureaucracy it has created ? The Declaration committee would sincerely appreciate knowing about it.
Ancient wisdom says within every question often lies it’s own answer. How could these issues be addressed?